What is Tendinitis?

If you’ve heard people talk about suffering from tennis elbow or runner’s knee, they’re referring to forms of tendinitis. Tendinitis is an inflammation or irritation of one of your tendons, the thick, fibrous cords that attach your muscles to your bones. Although it can impact any tendon in your body the tendons most usually affected are those in the shoulder, elbow, knee, wrist or heel.

If you have tendinitis, generally, you’ll feel pain in the area where the tendon attaches to the bone, as well as tenderness and mild swelling. The pain may interfere with performing basic daily tasks.

Tendinitis is generally a repetitive motion injury, occurring when the body repeats a specific motion over and over – especially if that motion is awkward. It may be job related, due to typing on computer all day or reaching overhead to store and retrieve boxes from shelves, and or it can be sports related, as with a baseball pitcher who uses his shoulder to hurl the ball regularly.

As you age, your tendons become less pliant and flexible, so you may be more prone to tendinitis. However, it can also result from poor technique in executing a motion or from a sudden impact.

If you experience symptoms of tendinitis in any of your joints, it’s time to talk to a registered physiotherapist. They are trained to assess and treat such injuries and will help you recover so that you can return to your usual activities safely and pain-free. However, be prepared to take things slowly, because the body doesn’t deliver large amounts of blood to the tendons in comparison to your muscles, so healing completely may take time.

Your physiotherapist will customize the treatment to your injury. They will show you how to reduce stress on the affected area by correcting your body mechanics and posture. They will manipulate the area manually, doing some gentle stretches and joint movements to improve mobility in the area. They may also use other methods to promote healing, such as trigger point dry needling, an acupuncture technique that can affect the way the brain and muscles communicate, allowing your system to return to a more normal movement pattern. Your physiotherapist will also prescribe exercises to improve your body’s healing without overloading the affected area.

If you are in pain and wonder if tendinitis is the cause, don’t hesitate to consult with a registered physiotherapist. Left untreated, tendinitis can lead to a ruptured tendon and possible surgery.